Improvement in cutlery



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CALVIN L. BUTLER, OF GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T0 J. RUSSELL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT |N C'UTLERY.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Beit known that I, CALVIN L. BUTLER, of Green field, in the county of Franklin and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cutlery; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ot this specification.

The present invention relates more particularly to knives and forks for table use; andit consists in a novel construction or formation of the bolster, and also in its attachment to the knife and fork, as will be hereinafter fully described.

In accompanying plate of drawings, Figure l is a side view of a table-knife having its bolster secured thereto according` to my invention; Fig. 2, a side view of the knife-blade and its tang, showing the handle and one section of the bolster detached therefrom; and Fig. 3, a cross-section through the bolster, taken in the plane of the line ai, Fig. l.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A in the drawings represents the blade of the knife, which may be constructed or forged in any one of the known forms, terminating at one end in a flat-shaped tang, B, in which, at or near the junction of the blade therewith, is cut or in any other proper manner formed a narrow slot or aperture, a, extending in the direction of the length of the blade.

C is the bolster, formed in two similar parts or sections, b b, of a Width corresponding to that of the blade-tang at the point c thereof, where they are applied thereto, as will be presently explained, and of a thickness equal to the inner end of the handle D, so as to be flush with the same, as plainly shown in Fig. 1, the bolster being divided in the direction of its length and across its width.

On the inner surface of each of the bolsterpieces b b is formed a similar projecting'iiatshaped teat or prong, f, of a thickness equal to one-half of the width of the tang-slot a, or nearly so, and of an equal length, or nearly so, thereto, which prongs are formed at such points upon the bolster-pieces that when they are placed upon the sides of the knife-tang, as

out or concave, as seen at g, so that by placing the bolster-pieces upon the blade-tang with their prongs extending through the same, as above explained, and then subjecting the bolster to sufficient pressure, or to a severe and powerful blow from a die, or in any other suitable manner, the teats or prongs Will be bent and clinched about the knife-tang, as plainly seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The concavities of the bolster-pieces about the prongs greatly aid in their bending or clinching, as is obvious without further explanation.

From the above description it is obvious that by constructing a bolster and attaching it to theknife-blade in the manner specified a most perfect and securejointthereof is obtained, and in an extremely simple and novel manner, it being almost impossible to detach the bolster therefrom; and it is further apparent that, although I have particularly described my invention as applied to a table-knife, it is as well applicable to a table-fork and other kinds of cutlery, and therefore I do not intend to limit myself to its use and adaptation to any one particular article.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Forming the bolster of a knife, fork, or other article of cutlery in two parts or sections, each having upon its inner surface a projecting teat or prong, which, passing through a suitably-shaped slot in the knife, fork, Sto., are clinched upon the same, substantially as herein described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The concavities or depressions about the bolster-prongs, as and for the purpose described.

C. L. BUTLER.

Witnesses:

LEWIS MERRIAM, HERBERT W. BRIGHAM. 

